Electroplating apparatus



1929- w. J. ONblLL I 1,726,308

ELECTROPLAT TNG APPARATUS Filed March '7, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l g- 27, 1929. 'w. J. ONEILL 1,726,308

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS Filed March '7, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 0M 0 0 x 0 o o\ a o o 'o I Edam #2750472 Q07ZQZZ 3/ "17 8- w. J. QNEILL' 1,726,308

Enscraorm'rine rmuws Fil March 1927 s Shets-Sheet a Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. ONEILL, or RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'ro RLMER J. MERoiL, or

' OAK PARK, rumors.

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS.

Application filed Match 7, 1927. Serial No. 173,487.

My invention relates to electroplating ap- Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal Sectional view 55 paratus and, particularly, to receptacles generally on line 4-4 of Fig. 5 with parts thereof having electrolyte therein and has broken away;-Fig. MS a sectional view on line for one of its objects the provision of an im- 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of 5 proved structure whereby the cathode cona portion of one end wall and the contiguous ductors are insulated from the electrolyte end of one of the panel holding bars, these 60 except at terminal parts thereof that, are to partsbein'g shown in separated relation; Fig. have contact with the electrolyte. is a sectional view on line 7-7 ofFig. 4;

. In carrying out this object of my invention, and Fig. 8 is a sectionalview on line 88 10 the receptacle comprises end walls and an inof Fig. 4.

tervening wall of insulation, the cathode con- The electroplating tank 1 includes any 5 ductor or conductors being encased by said suitable form of liquid electrolyte 2. The intervening wall and-provided with a termianodes 3 which are to supply the metal or nal or terminals projecting laterally through material to the objects to be plated are hung the intervening wall to the interior of the reupon metallic bus rods 4 which are supported ceptacle to contact with the electrolyte within upon the tank in position to permit these the receptacle. This feature of my invenanodes to be sufliciently inserted within the tion finds particular utility in the construe.- electrolyte. These bus rods are connected tion of electroplating barrels, which comn series by another metallic rod 5, the three 20 prise end walls of insulation and intervening metallic rods being connected by a conductor perforated panels of insulation which have 6 with the positive pole of the electroplating assembling bars between their adj acentlongigenerator or other source of current, this tudinal edges which extend between the end source furnishing direct current unless the walls. These assembling bars are of insulaelectrolytic cell itself is capable of rectifying 25 tion and encase the cathode conductors-which alternating current. I

have terminals projecting laterally through An electroplating or tumbling barrel is so the bars to the interior of the barrel for conmovable and preferably rotatable within the tact with the electrolyte'within thebarr'el. electrolyte in the tank. This electroplating- The perforated panels are preferably thin barrel includes end walls 7 and 8 formed of 3 and the perforations therethrough are 1111- suitable insulating material and five thin merous, In order to strengthen the panels, wall portions or panels 9 also formed of suitr and to effect firm assembly of the end walls, able insulating material that are received at I employ tie rods which connect the end walls their ends within grooves formed upon the and which are located between the longituinner faces of said end walls and a thin wall dinal edges and engage the outer faces of the portion or panel board 10 of suitable insuanels so that when any of the contents of the. lating material which is held by a removable arrelfiiat are to be plated rest upon the frame 11 made of insulating material which panels, the latter will be aided by the rods is normally fixed in position, as will appear. in supporting the weight of said contents. I I The end walls are of hexagonal contour, the

'40 In accordance with another feature of thezrjpanels being arranged to enclose a hexagonal invention, one of the panels of the barrel' is' figure, these panels being arranged within the movable to afford access to the barrel. I rehexagonal contour of the end walls. It is inforce this panel by means of a brace or obvious that the barrel is not tobe limited to braces [intermediately placed between oppothe hexagonalshape described. The various site sides of the frame that carries this panel panels areprovided with numerous erforaand engaging the outer face of the panel, for tions 12'therethrough which afii'ord ree pasthe'same purpose. sage between the interior of the barrel and The apparatus of my invention has other the exterior thereof for the passage of elecfeatures and advantages and will be more trolyte between the interior of the barrel and 50 fully explained in connection with the accomthe surrounding portion of the tank.

panying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longi- The end wal s are assembled by means of 05 tudinalsectional elevation taken generally metallic rods 13, each threaded at one end and -on line 1'1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan view; there screwed into the end wall 7 and each 7 Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of threaded at its other end and there receiving a clamping nut 14 of insulationor at least with its exposed surface upon insulating material. Said rods are surrounded by sleeves or hollow rods 15 of insulating material-which extend slightly into the end walls from the inner faces thereof, the ends of the sleeves constituting shoulders upon the rods 13 to limit the extent to which the end walls may be drawn together, a function which is also performed by the panels. The ends of the sleeves 15 desirably taper as do the recesses in the end walls that receive the same so as to insure fluid-tight connection between the end walls and the sleeves. The sleeves 15 and the rods 13 thus constitute unitary rod structures. These rod structures are desirably located midway between the corners of the end walls and midway between the sides of the panels, the rod structures engaging the exterior surfaces of the panels so as to aid the same in supporting the weight of the contents of the barrel that are being plated when the panels underlie such contents in the rotation of the barrel.

The nuts 14 are desirably composed of insulation and donotof themselves have sufficient strength to enable them to force the end walls toward each other/to the desired extent. I, therefore, initially employ metal nuts 16 upon the ends of the rods 13, these nuts being turned with suflicient force to bring the end walls into position. After the metal nuts 16 have performed this function, they are removed, one at a time, and replaced, one at a time, by the insulating nuts 14. The longitudinal edges of the panels 12 are received in grooves formed in bars 17 of insulating material, these bars being desirably square in cross-section and extending between the end walls 7 and 8 and having reduced circular ends 18 which enter correspondingly shaped recesses 19 in the end walls. There are six of the insulating bars 17, each bar encasing a cathode conductor 20 which is thus thoroughly protected from the electrolyte excepting at its terminals 21 which project laterally through the bars 17 to have contact with the electrolyte within the barrel. These terminals may be in the form of metal screws whose stems are threaded into the conductors 20 and whose heads seal the openings in the bars 17 through which the stems pass. The cathode conductors 20 are included in circuit by means of other cathode conductors 22, six in number, which are encased by the insulating end wall 8 and radiate from the central region thereof toward the corners of said end wall. The connections between the conductors 20 and 22 are effected by means of the 'metallic screws 23 which are passed through the conductors 22 into the adjacent ends of the conductors 20, said conductors being in I the form of bars in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the conductors 20 being at right angles to the conductors 22.

The screws 23 are passed through openings formed through the end wall 8,the outer ends of these openings being plugged with insulation, as indicated at 24, to protect the screws from the electrolyte. Screws 23 are passed through the end wall 7 into the other ends of the conductors 20, the screws 23 and 23 cooperating to place the end walls of the barrel in proper relation to each other and to the bars 17 and the cathode conductors encased by ,these bars. The outer ends of the screws 23 are protected by plugs of insulation 24.

The electroplating barrel is desirably rotated, when the apparatus is in use, and to this end the barrel is provided with a hub upon each end wall. The hub upon the wall 7 is inclusive of a shaft portion 25 which is mounted to turn within-a bearing 26 formed of insulation, this bearing being carried by the lower end of a hanger 27 which is formed with a sleeve 28 at its bottom end in which the bearing 26 is disposed. The hub upon the end wall 8 is inclusive of a circular metallic plate 29 having a metallic shaft 30 integrally formed therewith, this shaft being mounted to turn within a bearing 31 formed of insulation and which is carried by the sleeve 32 formed upon the lower end of a hanger 33. A contacting metallic disc 34 is pressed against the outer end of the shaft 30 by means of a spring 35, an upright metallic rod 36 being joined, at its lower end, with the metallic disc 34, the rod 36 passing through an insulating sleeve 37 which is encased by the hanger 33. The upper end of the rod 36 is horizontally bent, as indicated at 38, and is receivable between the contacting spring clips 39 that are carried upon the top of the tank 1, this tank being of insulating material, these clips being connected with the source of current by the conductors 40. The metallic hub 29, 30 is electrically connected with the cathode conductors 22 by means of the metallic screws 41 which are passed through the hub portion 29 and are screwed into said conductors 22. The hub structure 29 and 30 is not only protected by the bearing 31 of insulation but is also protected by the insulating sleeve '37, the insulating disc 43 closing the outer end of the bearing 31 and held in place by the cap plate 43 that is screwed upon the outer end of the sleeve 32 and the cap of insulation 44 held in place by screws 45 which are passed through the rim of the cap into the end wall 8. These screws desirably also serve to hold the metallic cap 4 about the cap 44. The central portion of the cap 44 is held between the inner end of the sleeve 32 and the central portion of the cap 46.

The end walls of the tank carry brackets 47 that extend inwardly over the electrolyte within the tank, the hangers 33 terminating in angular heads 48 which rest upon these brackets. The hangers have upward inverted U-shaped extensions 49 which are con nected by the distance preserving rod 50, as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 4. The spring clips 39 are carried upon the enlargement 51 of one of the right hand brackets 47. Levers 52 are secured to the rod 53 by means of the set screws 54, these rods being journaled, at their ends, within bearings 55 carried upon the outer ends of brackets 56 which are secured to the end walls of the tank. The other ends of the levers 52 are in pivotal connection with the hangers, as indicated at 57. Operatin levers 58 are also secured to the rod 53, t ese levers being desirably provided with gounterweights 59. When the levers 58 are pressed downwardly upon, the barrel is lifted, the circuit connection of the cathode conductors upon the-barrels being broken by the consequent upward movement of the rod end 38 out of engagement with the spring contacting clips 39. W hen the barrel is in its lower and operating position illustrated, the oblong-end 60 of the driving shaft 61 is closely received between the flat sides of the wings 62 upon the outer end of the shaft 25 whereby the barrel may be turned. The shaft 61 carries a worm wheel 63 in mesh with a worm pinion 64 upon a suitably driven shaft 65. The journal 66 for the shaft 61 passes through and has fluidti ht connection with the adjacent'end wall 0 the tank.

Access is had to the barrel by the removal of the frame 11, hitherto described, the outer longitudinal sides of the frame being inwardly tapered, as illustrated in Fig. 8, to have snug fit with the adjacent bars 17. Fastening cams 67 are journaled upon the frame 11 and are provided with thumb pieces 68 the invention has many features in common with the structure disclosed in Patent 1,529,747, dated March 17, 1925.

Changes may be made without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

An electroplating barrel including end walls of insulation; perforated panels between the end walls; bars of insulating material extending between said end walls and with which the adjacent sides of adjacent panels are assembled; conductors encased by said bars of insulation and provided with terminals projecting laterally through the bars to the interior of the barrel to contact with the electrolyte within the barrel; additional conductors connecting the aforesaid conductors in circuit and each encased by one of said end walls of insulation; and screws effecting the mechanical assembly of said end walls with the adjacent ends of said bars and establishing electrical connection between the first aforesaid and said additional conductors.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

WILLIAM J. ONEILL. 

